Field of the Invention
The invention relates to active charges which can be fired from a launcher for producing smoke as a protection for ships. These are distinguished by the fact that the active charge(s) preferably become(s) buoyant even before it/they hit(s) the surface of the water. For this purpose, before hitting the water, a floating aid that prevents the active charge from sinking is activated. Therefore, after firing the active charge, the active compound is ignited and at about the same time a pyrotechnic charge actuator, which activates the gas-producing mixture of the floating aid that is likewise incorporated in a grenade (smoke grenade).
Description of the Background Art
A device and a method for producing an effective wall of smoke over the surface of water is disclosed by EP 2 612 101 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference. A active charge for producing a decoy target is described in DE 10 2004 047 231 B4, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,183, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the case of land-based craft (tanks, trucks, etc.), smoke munition is delivered as a visual or infrared screen in the direction of an enemy and prevents the enemy from having a visual sighting or detection on IR viewing devices. A device for creating multispectral walls of smoke is cited by WO 2012/028257 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference. The active charges of the smoke grenades normally come to lie in general on solid ground, so that the active compound can be converted completely into smoke.
When firing conventional smoke grenades from a ship, the active charge of the smoke grenade would sink after hitting the water. The smoke-producing active compound contained in the active charge would become wet and then could not be ignited. If the active compound had already been ignited before the active charge hits the water, it would be extinguished again.
In order therefore to achieve a smoke shield as a means for ships to protect themselves, usually buoyant smoke pots are thrown manually into the water by the ship's crew.
Apart from the fact that delivering smoke pots in such a way is laborious and involves dangers for the ship's crew, the achievable shroud of smoke around the ships is relatively imprecise.